The Edmonton Oilers clinch a playoff spot in a dominating 5-3 performance over the Vancouver Canucks: Game Grades

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The Edmonton Oilers have clinched a playoff spot.

We haven’t been able to say that a lot, the past 20 years, so lets just let that lead line sit for a moment, shall we?

The 5-3 score flattered Vancouver, who was soundly outplayed for the majority of the 60 minutes and had only 1 shot 15 minutes into the 3rd. The Canucks defence in particular had no answer for the McDavid-Draisaitl-Puljujarvi line, which dominated almost every time they hit the ice.

As for Connor, the 4-point game gives him 91 in 50. 6 more games to hit the century mark, which no doubt means more to 97 now that his team has secured a post-season berth.

Here’s the tale of the tape.

Edmonton Oilers Game Grades

MIKKO KOSKINEN. 7. Was sharp early which was fortunate as the Canucks had some jump in the 1st 20 minutes. An Early save off Bo Horvat on a wrap-around seemed to set the tone for him. Found the puck on a very tough Pearson deflection later in the same frame. A 3rd stop in that same period came off a Hawryluk drive. Was at least partially screened on the 1-1. A quick D-zone turnover led to the 2nd GA. The 3rd Canucks market was just off the face-off, but I felt Koskinen had a chance at that one. Stopped 18 of 21. In the end, though, Koskinen did what you need a goaltender to do…give his team a chance to win.

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CONNOR McDAVID. 9. Was on-fire while centering a line that Vancouver had zero answer for. Helped create the turnover along the wall on the 1-0. His wrist shot created the flurry in front that ended in the 2-1. Blasted past the Vancouver defenders at Mach-3, and in the process racketed a wrister off a stick and in-between Holtby’s glove and ribs for the 3-1. And it was Connor who had stripped the puck in the first place. Salted the game away with an empty netter. 2-2-4, +4. A pleasure to watch night in and night out.

LEON DRAISAITL. 7. Draisaitl put the puck up on a tee for Jesse Puljujarvi’s 1-0 blast. Set up McDavid for the 5-3 with a crisp pass at the attacking blue line. Won the face-off cleanly on the 2-1 although he didn’t earn an official assist on the play. Had 2 shots of his own, and that’s not counting a marvelous individual effort in the 3rd Period where he beat 2 Vancouver defenders but not Braden Holtby (who was quite good in this one, by the way). Sharp defensively as well, adding a good stick that disrupted a Canucks advance in the 2nd, and a sneaky takeaway in the 3rd. Also teamed up with Puljujarvi for a late 3rd Period clear. Solid.

JESSE PULJUJARVI. 8. Finished off a pretty 3-way passing play by slamming a snapshot past Holtby for the 1-0. Jesse and Connor had made solid defensive plays along the way that helped turn the puck over in the first place. Won a puck battle that allowed Barrie to scoop the puck in for the 2-1. Jesse and Draisaitl teamed up for a critical 3rd Period clear. It looks like the speed of the NHL game had slowed down for Puljujarvi, and the straight lines he is taking to the puck and the net is paying off. Good for him.

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DARNELL NURSE. 7. Darnell Nurse came up with a big shot block to help keep the score 1-1 at the end of the 1st Period. A good stick stopped a Canucks sortie in the 2nd. Took his man but not the puck on the 3-2 but to be clear Nurse was very partially at-fault on that sequence. The 23:32 he turned in tonight was a “rest”, by Darnell Nurse standards. He and Barrie overall had a very good night,

TYSON BARRIE. 7. Tyson Barrie’s pinch up the right-hand wall helped start the cycle that ended in the 1-0. Then charged in off the point to chip home a rebound for the 2-1. Was caught up-ice on the 3-2 goal but did what a D-man is supposed to do in that situation, which is contain his own man…plus he had 2 men back. There’s not much blame to assign under those circumstances. Posted an All-Events CF of 30-22, 60%.

RYAN NUGENT-HOPKINS. 7. Save for 1, single play I felt that Ryan Nugent-Hopkins played his best game as a Center this year. Earned a 2nd Assist on the 4-2. Drew a 2nd Period hook a second after setting up Kahun for a chance. Stoned by Holtby’s pad part-way through the 2nd. Lost the faceoff clean on the 4-3 to make the game appear closer than it was. Otherwise was 53% on the dot.

DOMINIK KAHUN. 7. Wired home a 1-timer for the 4-2. That was 1 of 4 shots for him on the evening. Kahun, Nugent-Hopkins and Yamamoto enjoyed considerable success all night. I wanted to make a point of that since I’d pointed out in my Sunday “9 Things” column that this trio would be skilled but undersized. Well, the latter didn’t hurt them tonight. Good for them.

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KAILER YAMAMOTO. 6. Dug the puck out of a crowd of Canucks, starting the sequence that led to the Kahun goal. Good clear on a 2nd Period PK. Set up Nugent-Hopkins for a dangerous 3rd Period shot but Holtby got the blocker up in time. Late to the shooter on the 4-3, but to be fair…it was a split-second after the face-off.

DMITRY KULIKOV. 8. This was Kulikov’s best game in an Oilers jersey, so far. An excellent pass over to Kahun for the 4-2 and his 1st point as an Oiler. Couldn’t get a piece of the puck on the 4-3. Tough along the boards, won multiple races to the puck to get it to safety. This is what they got him for. 2 shots, 3 hits, 2 blocks.

ADAM LARSSON. 7. Led all D-men in All-Events CF (26-15, 63%). A shot, 3 hits and a clean 1:12 on the PK. Led the team in TOI at 24:08. Vancouver had next to no success against the Larsson-Kulikov pairing. You’ll see this all playoff long. Larsson is playing his best hockey as an Oiler.

RYAN McLEOD. 5. Exposed on the 3-2 goal. In fairness, the kid was right where he was supposed to be, covering for Barrie who had taken his own man along the wall. But the puck ticked off the tip of his stick and right into the path of the charging J.T. Miller. But again, won the chances-for-and-against battle and was 57% in the circle. 1 shot.

TYLER ENNIS. 5. Had energy and took the puck to the net a couple times. 2 shots, including one off a nice set-up from McLeod. 2 takeaways, one of them on a smart back-track late in the 1st Period.

JOSH ARCHIBALD. 5. J.T. Miller flew past Archibald at the blueline and picked up the McLeod turnover for the 3-2. But Archie’s shot block in the D-zone turned the puck over and sent Draisaitl and McDavid away for the 5-3. Whistled for a 2nd Period trip. A rare night with 0 hits.

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CALEB JONES. 4. Jones was decent in the 1st Period but played sparingly after that and struggled in the 3rd, including a sequence where he was beat 1-on-1 but Koskinen bailed him out. There’s just too much of that in his game, at this point in the season. Got a good 3rd period shot away from the point.

ETHAN BEAR. 5. Was in front on the 1-1 and while Bear had his man tied up there was at least a partial screen in Mikko Koskinen’s way. A shot and a block in 15:43.

JUJHAR KHAIRA. 4. Was physically engaged in the game upon his return from concussion protocol but was not sharp. A soft, ill-advised pass in his own corner turned the puck over and led directly to the 1-1. 5 hits, 2 takeaways.

ALEX CHIASSON. 5. 3 shots on goal. -1 but was not at-fault on the goal he was on the ice for. A smart 3rd Period zone clear.

JAMES NEAL. 4. Had a good, early chance off a feed from Chiasson. A takeaway.

The win elevates the Oilers to 2nd in the Canadian division with 64 points. Next up? Vancouver, again tomorrow. Or is that “later today”?

Meanwhile, Ottawa beat Winnipeg and Montreal edged Toronto. So just who the Oilers will face in the 1st Round is still far from clear.

Find me on Twitter @KurtLeavins

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